USDA program will place at least 100 young people in jobs across the country SAN DIEGO, Feb. 12, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a new effort to train the next generation of conservation and climate leaders. As part of President Biden’s historic American Climate Corps initiative, the Working Lands Climate Corps will provide technical training and career pathway opportunities for young people, helping them deliver economic benefits through climate-smart agriculture solutions for farmers and ranchers across the country, now and in the future. The Working Lands Climate Corps, in its first cohort, will aim to create service opportunities…
Author: urbanagnews
Quantified Sensor Technology emerged as the winner in the start- and scale-up challenge, a collaborative effort by GreenTech Americas, the Netherlands Embassy in Mexico, the Netherlands Business Support Office Querétaro, UTEQ, and AVAG. The Dutch start-up stood out among 8 notable entries, earning the opportunity to showcase their innovative and sustainable solutions for the Latin American horticulture market at GreenTech Americas. The exhibition is scheduled to take place at the Querétaro Congress Center (QCC), Mexico, from Tuesday 12 – Thursday 14 March 2024.Start-up challenge GreenTech is all about innovation and knowledge exchange. To give an extra impulse to the sector and…
Stakeholder panel will provide advice and feedback as the DLC guides the horticultural lighting industry toward connected, integrated lighting solutions MEDFORD, MA – The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) today announced the formation of a Horticultural Lighting Controls Technical Working Group that will advise and assist the DLC in efforts aimed at accelerating the horticultural lighting industry’s transition to optimized energy and production practices through networked lighting solutions. The nine working group members appointed by the DLC include lighting manufacturers, lighting controls and sensor manufacturers, engineering/design/construction consultants, non-profits, researchers and cultivators. Representing the interests of their respective industries, not individual companies, working group members…
Top Execs Share Insights on Future Landscape of Controlled Environment Agriculture Las Vegas, NV – Indoor Ag-Con is excited to announce its third keynote address, “Leader Insights: Charting the Future Landscape of Controlled Environment Agriculture,” led by industry veterans on Monday, March 11 at 11am. The keynote will feature Moderator, Daniel Malech, Board Chair of the CEA Alliance and SVP, Plenty, Jim DiMenna, President of Red Sun Farms, Viraj Puri, Co-Founder and CEO of Gotham Greens, and Matt Ryan, CEO of Soli Organic. In this compelling keynote presentation, attendees will discover the foresight from industry leaders as they share their…
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering financial assistance to agricultural producers and private landowners enrolled in its Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to improve the health of their forests. The Forest Management Incentive, available through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), can help participants with forest management practices, such as brush management and prescribed burning. “Healthy forests offer many benefits, from providing habitat for wildlife to sequestering carbon,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Through the Forest Management Incentive, USDA’s Farm Service Agency provides an additional forest improvement tool to producers participating in the Conservation Reserve Program. This incentive enhances…
Free, online educational materials created to support your learning and training in mastering indoor farming science and technologies What Will I Learn The general learning objectives of this lecture series are:Being familiar with indoor farming system componentsUnderstanding basics of hydroponic culture management, andBeing able to start planning your own indoor farming business What Topics are Covered In this lecture series, you will explore the fundamentals of indoor farming by delving into seven core concepts: Speakers include researchers from around the U.S. The OptimIA University educational materials are suitable for a self-paced online course. Check out OptimIA University today!
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing approximately $11.5 million in 38 cooperative agreements that support innovative, scalable waste management plans to reduce and divert food waste from landfills. The Composting and Food Waste Reduction cooperative agreements, which are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture. The program is jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The recommended projects will be implemented between now and 2026. “These Composting and Food Waste Reduction projects help communities reduce food…
Bergman to deliver address on “Indoor Farming: The Next Revolution in Agriculture” Las Vegas, NV –Indoor Ag-Con is pleased to announce that Adam Bergman, Managing Director, Clean Energy Transition Group, Global Head of AgTech for Citi, will deliver the day two morning keynote address on March 12, 2024 at 8 am at Caesars Forum Las Vegas. His presentation, “Indoor Farming: The Next Revolution in Agriculture,” will explore the dynamic landscape of indoor farming, addressing the setbacks faced in 2023 and unveiling the promising future that lies ahead. Bergman joins the keynote line-up, including opening day Keynote Speaker, Paul Sellew, CEO…
Researchers, growers, and manufacturers showcase benefits of efficient greenhouse technology ITHACA, NY – The Cornell University Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium will deliver their latest virtual short course with a focus on three interactive greenhouse systems. Experts from academia and industry will share how growers can select and operate greenhouse coverings, climate screens, and supplemental horticultural lighting. The 2024 GLASE Short Course will run from April 4 to May 9 and will feature six 90-minute modules presented over six weeks on Thursdays from 2 – 3:30 pm ET. Attend live sessions to participate in question and answer sessions with speakers and receive a…
USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) may have the coverage you need if you are running a smaller operation. The Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and Micro Farm Program are great risk management options for urban, organic and innovative producers. Whole Farm Revenue Protection provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on the farm under one insurance policy. This allows diversified farms to insure all of their crops together, including specialty or organic commodities and those marketing to local, regional, specialty, and direct markets. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions on Whole-Farm Revenue Protection. The Micro Farm Program gives smaller operations (up to $350,000…
Horticultural research remains at epicenter of growing field By Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Communication Specialist Jeff Bednar, owner/operator of Profound Foods in Fairview, is relatively new to controlled environment horticulture. It might surprise any visitor to his 10-acre farm — featuring 10,000 square feet, soon to be 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor growing systems — that he doesn’t have a green thumb. The truth is Bednar took a three-year “crash course” in controlled environment growing systems and the vegetables that grow best in them. His immersion into all things-controlled environment horticulture included attending permaculture school and dozens…
Smart Technology, Go Green and Automation Las Vegas, NV – Indoor Ag-Con returns March 11-12 to Caesars Forum offering attendees an insider look into the driving forces behind the ever-evolving vertical farming | greenhouse | controlled environment agriculture industry. Boasting an expanded Expo Hall with 200 exhibiting companies offering the most cutting-edge products, services and tools on the market, Indoor Ag-Con will offer an immersive experience to farmers, growers, ag tech leaders, suppliers, advocates and enthusiasts. Below are some of the most impactful trends shaping the indoor agriculture industry today and a selection of product highlights from Indoor Ag-Con 2024…
Positioning for Profitable Expansion While Empowering Growers SEATTLE, WA – IUNU, a leading automation provider in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), announced the appointment of Don Cronin as its new Vice President of Sales, marking a shift towards accelerated growth and market expansion. This move comes at a pivotal moment for both IUNU and the CEA industry. With 2024 poised to be an inflection point for widespread adoption of technology in the greenhouse, IUNU is positioning itself for profitable expansion. “We are thrilled to welcome Don to the IUNU family,” said Adam Greenberg, CEO of IUNU. “His proven track record of…
All urban producers, innovative producers, and other stakeholders are invited to virtually attend a public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production on January 31 from 2-3 p.m. ET. For more info and to register: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_J26CfPVSS8S2zglVIy–3Q?utm_campaign=1226urbganag&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#/registration